Oklahoma City Thunder guards Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are set to undergo surgeries that will sideline them indefinitely, general manager Sam Presti announced on Monday.
Williams has a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula while Wallace sustained a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both players are expected to miss several months, if not the entire season, although Presti said a recovery timeline won't be released until after the procedures.
It's a significant blow for a Thunder team hoping to win their second championship in three years. Williams was vital to their title run in 2025 and his absence for large chunks of the 2026 postseason due to hamstring issues played a large role in OKC's loss in the Western Conference finals.
Wallace, one of the league's premier defenders, signed a five-year, $139 million rookie scale contract extension before the season and was expected to take on a bigger role this season.
Williams suffered his injury while being fouled on a drive with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's victory over the LA Clippers. He came down awkwardly on the leg, and it collapsed under him, his left foot bending out to the side at an unnatural angle.
He brought his hands to his mouth and then his head when he looked at the injury while sitting on the hardwood. A staffer quickly covered Williams' lower leg with a towel. Medical personnel rushed to attend to him as his teammates and Clippers players reacted in shock.
Williams was placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the court to a standing ovation. He gave the crowd two thumbs-up as he was taken off. The game was stopped for about five minutes before the Thunder went on to finish the victory.
Wallace's injury came earlier, in the first quarter, when he was attempting to get over a screen. He was later ruled out with what the team called shoulder soreness.
Williams -- who entered Sunday having averaged 18 points in his first 250 NBA contests -- has been an All-Star and an All-NBA player already in his career. He is in the first season of a five-year, $240 million extension.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.